Music
Press
June 2009
Downbeat Magazine John Ephland
"Bop Tribal" Album Review
Hawaii-based Bop Tribal's eponymous release (Pass Out 9020; 57:01) * * * * (4 stars) moves from evoking the music of John Coltrane and McCoy Tyner, as on the bluesy "One Bad Song a Day," to Horace Silver with the whimsical waltz "Melancholic Toes." In this all-original program of eight songs, pianist/leader Satomi Yarimizo, trumpeter/flugelhorn player DeShannon Higa, tenorist Reggie Padilla, bassist Shawn Conley and drummer Abe Lagrimas, Jr., establish straightahead moods convincingly, as with the robust, swinging title track, which sets up a series of energetic and engaging solos - Downbeat Magazine
Discography
Bop Tribal - "Bop Tribal" (2008, Pass Out Records)
Photos
Bio
The jazz quintet group assembled by leader Satomi Yarimizo (piano), BOP TRIBAL showcases the fierce improvisational prowess of its members. DeShannon Higa (trumpet) & Reggie Padilla (tenor saxophone) provide the dual melodic elements while Yarimizo, Abe Lagrimas Jr. (drums), Shawn Conley (bass) lay down the groove like a well-oiled, high octane machine. B.T.'s home base is in 50s hard bop, but it adeptly weaves its way through modal jazz, bebop, post bop, and even hip hop. This is quintessential New York jazz, transported to the Honolulu stage!
DeShannon Higa
trumpet, composer, arranger
DeShannon is a renown jazz trumpet player both in Hawaii and New York City. His professional experience spans 20 years. He has performed around the world and in famous venues like Birdland, Carnegie Halll and Radio City Music Hall. Among his teachers are studio legend Ollie Mitchell, Grammy Award winning jazz trumpet player Brian Lynch and other famous musicians. He also recorded on many albums including those of Raiatea Helm, Hula Joe & the Hutjumpers (received a Hoku award for best jazz album). His credits include such notable artists as Burt Bacharach, Joe Williams, Diana Krall, Al Jarreau, and Tower of Power, among many others!
DeShannon's style of music range from jazz to latin/salsa to modern
electronica break beat music. As a bandleader/visionary, he has assembled and is currently performing with two bands of his own creation: gr00ve.imProV.arTists(an urban jazz-electronica dance band) and Quadpod(a neo-bop quartet).
Reggie Padilla
tenor saxophone, composer, arranger
Reggie was born and raised in New York, he received his master's degree in music from New York University and studied with Pete Malinverni, Don Friedman and Bob Albanese. He also received coaching from bassist Martin Wind. Reggie has performed at New York venues such as The Biter End, CBGC's , The Lion's Den, and among many others. He also appeared on a video on BET, on Kyle Jason's "Why am I So Funky".
He moved to Hawaii at the beginning of 2007 to stay for good, and has quickly become one of the most in-demand musicians on the Honolulu music scene. He plays gigs all over Honolulu.
Satomi Yarimizo
piano, leader, composer, arranger
Satomi Yarimizo is a renown jazz pianist in Hawaii. She started taking piano and organ lessons in Japan at age three. During her teen years, she played drums, guitar as well as saxophone. She really loved playing music. At age 13. She started playing simple jazz/fusion by ear. She already loved jazz very much and listen the same music over and over. During middle and high schools she did a lot of ensemble and arrangement work for piano and keyboard. She played fusion with her friends.
She moved to Hawaii in 2000. She started to seriously teach herself jazz theory in 2004 and to sit in at local jazz venues in order to become a full-time musician. In 2005, a friend of hers and one of the greatest trumpet player, Tiger Okoshi recommended her to come to his school, so she attended the intensive summer course at the Berklee College of Music in Boston to further enrich her understanding of jazz. She started gigging soon after she returned to Honolulu, and now regularly perform jazz 2 to 4 nights a week at assorted venues with her duo, trio, quartet and quintet featuring various respected local musicians and visiting musicians such as Valery Ponomarev, Frank Perowsky and Stafford Hunter. She has been a house pianist of the Dragon Upstairs from 2006 and her band is playing Saturdays regularly.
Shawn Conley
bass, composer, arranger
Shawn Conley studied with George Wellington, Sr. for the first five years of his life as a bass player. During that time he won a position in the Honolulu Symphony, and both the State and Southwest divisions of the MTNA solo staring competition. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Music degree at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music, under the tutelage of Paul Ellison. Shawn was awarded a Wagoner Fellowship to study a year in Paris, where he received both performance and teaching diplomas from Francois Rabbath. Uopn returning from Europe, Mr. Conley returned to Rice University to work with Paul Ellison toward his Master of Music degree. In June 2007, he was a winner in the International Society of Bassists Scott LaFaro Jazz competition. In 2009, he was a finalist in the Thelonious Monk Bass & Composers Competition.
Abe Lagrimas Jr.
drums, composer, arranger
Abe started playing drums at the early age of four, but gained an interest in learning other instruments as his music career progressed. Predominantly known as a drummer, Abe is equally proficient on the vibraphone and the `ukulele. Today, he currently performs and tours throughout the world on the drums, vibraphone, or `ukulele.
As a high school student, Abe participated in prestigious music programs such as the Drummers Collective 4-week program in New York City, the Berklee College of Music 5-week Summ
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